Plays:

The Wedding Singer: the Musical at Le Petit Theatre duVieux Carre which is one of it not the oldest community theater in the United States! They are getting ready to start their 95th Season. The Wedding Singer was wonderfully cast and produced. It followed the movie closely.

Reviews Posted:

Reading Now:

I am reading too many books at one time and rather than repeat all the half-finished book from earlier weeks. I’ll just mention that I need to re-check out from the Library the eBook I was reading. The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag ceased to open (as expected) once my 14-day license expired.

Thoughts:

Does anyone belong to a Literary Society (I belong to the Northshore Literary Society) of some type? Not a book club, but an organization that promotes literacy in their community, brings in guess speakers, apply for grants to meet goals?

Our Literary Society is trying to expand and more formally organize and I’m looking for suggestions.

“…he found the literature could sometimes take his mind off the pain.”

Now there is a true statement. You can always find them in good fiction. I had wanted to read Blood Soup since I saw it reviewed elsewhere on the web. Its cover look seductively creepy and the synopsis sounded cool so I put the book on my Wish List. I thought wistfully, “One day,” and then to my immense good fortune the author, Kelly A. Harmon, contacted me and I found myself in possession of a review copy. I got started reading right away.

This was a short novella of my favorite sort. I couldn’t see the conclusion from the opening, there was recompense paid at that end, and just enough open-endedness to let the imagination fly.

This novella covers a lot a time, but never feels fractured or too compressed. It also feels like it belongs to a different time. I don’t mean it’s the historical setting. Harmon’s story feels like it belongs to the myth and legend class of stories or maybe just a scary tale told in the dark. I loved its dramatic feel (in the theatrical sense).

I was completely shock during the second major scene, but I could tell the nurse maid (archetypal crone/witch) would have something in her basket. I really get a good picture of her in my mind. Though, the Old King is most interesting character especially at the end. He’s the one whose decisions turn the plot. He challenged fate and lived to witness his consequences. You must read it for yourself.

In one of those odd convergences of life, the son, Amal in this story has the same vibe as the petulant king Lionel in the audio book I’m listening to now. In the Accidental Sorcerer by K. E. Mills, the new King is also power-hungry and unwilling to take advice. I always think it is neat when this happens. Both violent brutes could almost switch places. Almost.

In a real world note: I never realize there were so may ways to actually make Blood Soup or so many foods in which blood was a main ingredient. Did I mention I also love books which inspire research!

Read:

The Pearl at the Gate by Anya Richards – This was a novella really. Very steamy sex book-ended by the “she’ll hate me if she knows my secret”/”he think a horrible if he knows what I like” relationship that plays out exactly like you expect for the opening paragraphs. Not bad, just predictable.

Death of a Pirate King by Josh Lanyon -This is book 4 of the Adrien English mysteries. Adrien is a bookseller/mystery writer who always seems to find himself in the soup when a dead body turns up. He’s got a glitch heart, a sharp dry wit, a touch and go relationship with his cop boyfriend Jake Riordan, and a real instinct snooping. I like this series because it fun, with the right mix of romance, sex, mystery, and annoying relatives.

Reading:

Blood Soup by Kelly A. Harmon (VERY excited about this! I plan to start this book as tonight.)

The Accidental Sorcerer by K. E. Mills (in the middle of the audio, about half way through and the story is starting to pick-up)

Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley ( the library book that I’ve to finish REALLY fast, only a few days left on the check out.)

Free eBooks:

Author Brian James Freemanis giving away his novella The Painted Darkness for free at http://www.downloadthedarkness.com/, for limited time, before the publication of the book in print. He asks a neat question in his “Extra” features.

What do y’all think? Will people still buy the print book? Will it be like review copies and just drum up advanced business for the book? Personally, I think the last one has some merit. I’d love to hear you thoughts.

Author Seth Godin, is giving away a “personal addendum to Linchpin“, which is the best Business book I’ve read in a while. It is one of those title that you read and it gets you all fired up to start doing things. I bought it one audio and will probably reread it when ever I feel stuck. It’s my staff pick at work this month! Click here to read his blog post about the addendum and download Insubordinate.

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is organized by Sheila over at Book Journey. Be sure to stop by her site and read the great blogs of the other participates.